MICROBIOLOGY EXAM JUNE 15th 2012 1. Darkfield microscopy: principles and applications 2. Define the following concepts: fimbriae, capsule, differential culture medium, polyphosphate granules, generation time. 3. Fermentation. Describe the two steps that made up the process and give examples of the final products commenting on their industrial interest. 4. Define the following concepts: sterilization, antibiotic, beta-lactamase, bacteriostatic, selective toxicity. 5. Quote: the three main characteristics that differentiate prokaryotic from eukaryotic genome, the three genes constituting the lactose operon of Escherichia coli and the three enzymes they encode, the three mechanisms for genetic recombination in bacteria, the three types of mutations according to their molecular mechanism. 6. Quote 10 vaccines used to prevent diseases caused by viruses, the virus that causes them and the mechanism by which they are transmitted. 7. Quote 5 herpesvirus, 5 tumor-associated viruses, 5 viruses that are transmitted through the air and 5 which are sexually transmitted. 8. List the causative agents of the following diseases: Mediterranean spotted fever Q fever Rheumatic fever Typhoid fever Toxic shock syndrome Scalded skin syndrome Septic shock Lyme disease Leprosy Whooping cough 9. Define Factor R, draw a diagram of a typical R factor of E. coli and describe each of its components. 10. Define: HFR strain, sexduction, genetic engineering, specialized transduction and F´factor. 11. Implications of genetic variability in HIV. 12. The DTP vaccine protects against three diseases, quote them, citing also the microorganisms that cause them, the transmission mechanism and whether or not they can be transmitted from person to person. Students taking the exam for the first and second semesters will answer questions 1-8. Students taking the second semester only will answer questions 5 to 12.